Mirror Image
by ShadowOfApate
Summary: Experimental Fic. Finding herself with nothing left, Chloe decides to go to a different dimension. A slightly different Smallville.


Title : Mirror Image  
>Author : Tariq ( formerly Aeris Jade Orion )<br>Rating : R  
>Pairing : ChloeClark  
>Timeline : Show end.<p>

Summary : Faced with no future, Chloe travels  
>to an alternate universe.<p>

Authors note: It's unbeta'd. At the moment I  
>have no beta reader for this genre. So drop me<br>a line if you're interested.

Second, due to health issues, and taking care  
>of my disabled mom, I haven't been able to<br>write much. But over the last several years  
>I've managed to slowly write on a number<br>of stories.

What I've decided to do is go ahead and  
>publish what I've managed to put together.<br>The stories are unfinished, and sometimes,  
>the last chapter I worked on is unfinished.<br>Plus, there maybe multiple chapters, each one a  
>different version. Just warning everyone.<p>

So I apologize in advance.

Disclaimer : Not mine. All characters belong  
>to WB and DC.<p>

00000  
>Prologue<br>00000

Chloe sipped the aged brandy from the back of  
>the wedding party. It was her fifth glass of<br>the night, and it was far from her last. She  
>watched Clark and Lois dancing together as<br>the happy newly wed's.

The rest of the party wasn't nearly as happy,  
>and she certainly didn't feel anything except<br>a numb grimness. Lana couldn't come within a  
>mile of Clark now because of the nanosuit she<br>wore. Worse, it was slowly killing her, a fact  
>Lana had told only Chloe about. The young woman<br>would be dead inside the year.

Pete Ross was seated next to her. The young man's  
>political career ruined before it could really<br>get started. All due to his keeping Clark's  
>secret. The FBI hadn't forgotten or forgiven<br>him.

She could see him tossing back glasses of whiskey  
>like they were water. A dark expression where<br>his normal cheerful face would be. Judge Ross  
>had confided in her about his new habit of drinking<br>but she hadn't known how bad it was.

Martha Kentdid not approve of Clark's new anti-humanity  
>views. Nor of the way he was going about the hero<br>business. Delibriately harming people, not caring  
>if innocents get injuried, the way he'd hurt Chloe<br>on a number of occasions.

Chloe drained the rest of her brandy grimly.

The two Kents hadn't talked since. Martha had  
>refused to come to the wedding, or have anything<br>else to do with Lois and Clark until he straightened  
>up.<p>

As for the League...

She grabbed another brandy from a passing waiter,  
>and took a gulp.<p>

Darkseid had done a job on them. They'd won but  
>the casualties...<p>

Chloe was a widow for the second time, the sole  
>heir to the Queen fortune. Bart and Canary were<br>never going to be fighting the fight again. Their  
>injuries too extensive. Cyborg's mind was now<br>inside a computer, his body destroyed. Aquaman  
>was in a coma, and Emil had no hope of him coming<br>out of it.

Even Chloe hadn't come out unscathed. Emil had been  
>forced to reactivate her meteor powers in order<br>for her live. In addition, he'd had to perform  
>surgery, and add certain cybernetic implants<br>made of nanoprobes.

She slowly drained the brandy wishing she could  
>get drunk. But her healing powers wouldn't let<br>her. Sighing, she sat the glass down, and stared  
>back at Lois.<p>

Lois Lane, now Kent.

There was a subject she really didn't want to  
>touch. Lois was her surrogate sister. She loved<br>the tall brunette. Really she did. There was  
>just one tiny little pesky habit Lois had.<p>

If Chloe wanted something. Really, truly, loved,  
>and obessed over something. Then Lois ended up<br>having to have it.

Worse, she always got it.

Chloe didn't mind when Lois decided to stay in  
>Smallville. She didn't mind when Lois started<br>helping out with the Torch. But then suddenly  
>Lois was the writing frong page articles at<br>the Daily Planet, with Clark as her partner.  
>Finally, Clark and Lois were getting married.<p>

Chloe...

Chloe was black listed by Lex and couldn't  
>get a job at any newspaper in the world. There<br>was no more League, and no more need for her  
>to play Watchtower. Oliver, her husband, was<br>dead. She was a meteor freak, again, and now  
>had enough nanoprobe implants to be considered<br>a computer in her own right.

" Did he even remember to invite you? " Pete  
>handed her a fresh brandy.<p>

" No. " Chloe took the glass thankfully. " The  
>happy couple didn't invite me until this morning<br>after a last minute cancelilation. "

" Figures. " Pete murmured. " I don't like this  
>version of Clark. He had the gall to threaten<br>me. Said if I open my mouth about his secret  
>he'd give me a free ride to the sun. "<p>

Chloe didn't blame Lois. Her cousin didn't realize  
>she did it, and Chloe never told her. She never<br>saw the point. Maybe when she heard the Kryptonian  
>marriage braclet had rejected Lois she should have<br>taken her cousin aside, but she knew Clark needed  
>someone.<p>

Clark had driven everyone else away, and even though  
>Chloe tried to still be there for him, he refused<br>to let her. The only one he let close was Lois, so  
>she remained silent, and hoped somehow her cousin<br>would get through to him.

" It's my fault. " She let the entire glass of  
>brandy slip effortlessly down her throat. " The<br>mess with Doomsday did this. "

" It was his choice. " Pete darkly corrected, gulping  
>his own whiskey.<p>

Clark had never handled grief well. She knew that,  
>boy did she. Unfornately, he hadn't come back from<br>this trip down the rabbit hole, and after tommorrow,  
>she wouldn't be here even if he did.<p>

" Him and his damned guilt. " She reached for yet  
>another brandy.<p>

" Here, here. " Pete tapped his glass to hers. " To  
>Clark Kent's inability to pull his head out of his<br>ass. "

" To Clark Kent's membership to the jackass  
>club. " She toasted.<p>

" I'll drink to that. " Pete agreed.

Chloe considered her drink for a moment. " Pete,  
>I'm leaving. "<p>

" 'Bout time. " Pete slumped back. " Let's face  
>it. Nothing is keeping you in Kansas. Lois and<br>Clark have ditched you. Your friends are all  
>dead, or elsewhere. Your only job is overseeing<br>Queen Industries. "

" Not Kansas. " She corrected tiredly. " This  
>reality. One of the scientist at Queen has<br>been working on a way to travel to different  
>universe's. "<p>

" You're not serious. Why would you...? " Pete  
>sobered.<p>

" For all the reason's you gave. " Chloe shrugged.  
>" There's nothing left for me here. Dad and mom<br>were killed in the attack by Darkseid. You're all  
>that's left. "<p>

" Lana... " He started.

" ...is dying. " She finished. " All the arrangment's  
>have been made. Dr. Raye has pinpointed a universe<br>identical to this one with one difference. Dad and  
>me died when the safe house exploded. When I'm sent<br>through, I'll arrive shortly after that. "

" What about money? " He tried to argue.

" I've converted a sum over to unmarked gems. When  
>I get there I can sell them. " She answered easily.<p>

" Your age? " He weakly asked.

" I don't age due to my healing ability. Plus, Emil  
>has developed a drug which will deage me to seventeen<br>before I leave. I'll age naturally until I turn twenty  
>one, and then stop again. " She brushed off.<p>

" Damn it. " He cursed then perked up. " The other  
>Chloe's body? "<p>

" I dig up the grave, and use a special compound  
>developed by Queen to destroy it. Rebury the grave,<br>and reappear. " She smiled. " I'm sorry Pete, but  
>I can't stay. "<p>

" I get it. " He frowned. " I don't like it, but  
>I get it. Still, are you sure you want to put up<br>with the moron again? "

" I'm hoping to steer him on the straight and  
>narrow this time. "<p>

She swirled the last of her brandy in the glass  
>and sighed. She hoped.<p>

00000

" Are you sure about this, Chloe? " Emil hurriedly  
>questioned for the thousandth time.<p>

She shot him a glance from her seventeen year old  
>body. A very unamused glance. She hated having<br>the hormones of a teenager. Again. Being questioned  
>on top of that... Yeah, right.<p>

" Right. " Emil cleared his throat. " You have the  
>gems. Several hundred thousand dollars worth. The<br>lap top, and of course, your bag containing... "

She cocked her eyebrow at the mother hen. She liked  
>the guy, he was a good friend. A great friend, in<br>fact, but he was getting on her last nerve.

" We're all set. " He finally said. " Remember  
>you can't come back so if you have any doubts... "<p>

" I don't. " She firmly told him.

She really didn't. This was the right thing to do.  
>The other world needed Watchtower. Not the place,<br>and not the person she became during Doomsday, or  
>even right after, but the person she really was.<p>

The secret keeper. The guardian. Big brother.

Already she'd instructed the nanoprobes in her  
>body to fully upgrade her. To expand to cover<br>her entire body. It wasn't like Victor where  
>he was taken apart and mechanic's were inserted.<br>Instead the nanoprobes built over her bones. Melded  
>with her nerves, blood vessels, brain, and other<br>orgains.

Because of this the cybernetics were self-healing,  
>and easier to upgrade. She could interact with<br>technology much easier than Cyborg, too.

" Start it. " She ordered, shrugging on her backpack,  
>and picking up a medium sized metal suitcase.<p>

The backpack contained her custom made and upgraded  
>laptop. It was very advanced, and her baby. All<br>the items she was taking with her was also in the  
>backpack. From the chemical to destroy the other<br>Chloe's body, to a fake updated Will for her dad.

The suitcase was nothing but gems.

A beam of blue energy shot out of the machine,  
>hitting the wall. A wide, steady opening appeared.<br>In it she could see an alley in Smallville, and  
>from the scene, it was nighttime.<p>

" We have a lock. " Dr. Raye announced. " The  
>universe it identical to this one. However, you,<br>your father, and Lois Lane are dead. "

She froze at the last name. " Lois? "

" Yes. " The female doctor nodded. " It was the  
>only universe I could find within your criteria.<br>I'm sorry. "

She sighed softly. She didn't like the idea of  
>living in a reality without Lois, but it couldn't<br>be helped.

" Thank you Doctor. " She smiled.

She walked toward the portal, pausing right before  
>stepping though. She took a deep breath letting<br>the tension of the last few years leave her body,  
>and started forward.<p>

" CHLOE! "

She glanced over her shoulder calmly as Clark pushed  
>his way into the room.<p>

" Goodbye, Clark. " She simply said, and moved through  
>the portal into the alley. Behind her the portal closed<br>on Clark's cries, along with her dead end future.

Now it was time for her to try and help another Clark  
>where she'd falled the original.<p>

11111  
>Chapter One<br>11111

" Being alive is supposed to be a good thing. "  
>Chloe snapped irratibly around her cup of third<br>rate coffee.

She had managed what she needed to do in a timely  
>manner. The gems were all sold, the money was all<br>safely stashed away in certain untraceable off-sea's  
>accounts. Her dad's fake Will was in the hands of<br>his attorney and had been authenticatied. This  
>realities Chloe had been dug up, and her body was<br>destroyed.

Now, a week later, she'd been sitting in the  
>Sheriff's office for six hours. It was two in<br>the morning. The only thing she'd had to eat was  
>stale donuts, and their coffee was the worst stuff<br>she'd ever had. Which was saying something, since  
>she'd once been forced to eat, yes eat, a cup of<br>coffee from a gas station in Whizzer, Texas.

' Ergh. ' She shuddered.

" And we're all glad you are. " The Sheriff  
>smiled. " Despite you being meteor infected. "<p>

She eyed the woman suspiciously. There'd been no  
>getting around telling the police about her<br>healing abilities.

" Relax, Chloe, I don't see how you can go pyscho  
>with an ability to heal others, and yourself. "<br>The woman waved her hand. " I am sorry you were  
>buried though. "<p>

" Don't remind me. " She shivered violently.

She'd been buried alive at least once, and woken  
>up in a morge draw several times. Neither were<br>memories she wanted to linger on.

" I've already sent Tom over to the Hospital to  
>warn them about your powers. " She reassured.<br>" He'll make sure they add this to your file so  
>this won't happen again. "<p>

" Thanks. " She pulled her jacket tighter around  
>herself.<p>

Suddenly thick arms hefted her out of her chair,  
>tightly hugging her. A familiar smell of hay, apples,<br>and summer filled her nose.

" Clark, you big lug, put me down! " She scolded  
>him half heartedly.<p>

" You died! " He buried his face in her neck.

" I know! " She scoffed. " I ended up clawing my  
>way through solid oak, and up through eight feet<br>of tightly packed dirt. ACK! "

His arms on her tightened. Clearly he wasn't getting  
>the idea of the whole letting her down bit. This<br>was what happened when a guy touched pigskin.  
>Their brain cell's died.<p>

" What...? " Martha blinked.

" How is this possible? " Johnathan turned to the  
>Sheriff.<p>

" Chloe activated a meteor ability. " The Sheriff  
>smirked at the two teens. " She can heal others,<br>and herself. Even from death, as long as it's  
>within a certain length of time. Thankfully, her<br>ability is harmless, and hasn't made her unbalanced. "

" I said down, not harder. " She slapped his arm.

" I thought I lost you. " He whispered.

" You will, if you don't let me breath. " She  
>snarked.<p>

Finally, he let her loose, but kept his left arm  
>draped over her shoulders.<p>

" Honestly Kent. " She jabbed him in the ribs.  
>" I'm not going anyplace. "<p>

-  
>To Be Continued <p>


End file.
